Whether by unfortunate happenstance such as a tragedy or accident or by personal volition such as a planned hiking adventure into an unpopulated area, an individual may become isolated and/or removed from society and from available uses of resourceful and life-sustaining technologies, instrumentalities and tools. During this time, the individual may be in a state of near helplessness as useful instruments and/or tools are not accessible. As a result, the individual can face serious hardships and sometimes even death.
While isolated, an individual's inaccessibility to useful tools can affect the individual's well-being. Thus, without certain type of tools to aid in the performance of basics tasks of life such as in the procurement and preparation of sustenance, an individual in a secluded environment has a diminished chance of survival. In addition to affecting an individual's well-being, such useful tools also can assist the individual in addressing difficult circumstances that are encountered during the isolation.
Throughout the centuries, mankind has fashioned and created innovative tools that can be used to address various circumstances, including dangerous predicaments which can be encountered in nature. Often isolation occurs when an individual is situated on a rugged or unknown terrain such as a wooded or unpopulated area. Unfamiliar, unpopulated and/or rugged terrain can be daunting, unpredictable and dangerous. However, circumstances may arise which cause the isolation of an individual even if the terrain is known and populous. Natural disasters, accidents or other circumstances beyond one's control can cause an individual to become isolated from people, technology and valuable tools. Thus, isolation can be intentional or unintentional. Whether isolation occurs intentionally or unintentionally, an individual without the possession of the proper tools may have difficulty coping with various situations and predicament that arise, resulting in inconvenience, serious injury or even death. For example, a canteen, kettle, folding knife, fishing line, hook, bandage, blanket and compass are just some of the tools that can be of valuable use. Without the availability of such tools, various tasks such as finding and preparing food, maintaining hydration, administering remedial products and determining accurate directions would be difficult—if not impossible.
If an individual intends to venture into an isolated area for an outing such as to hike or camp, the individual may decide to gather various tools beforehand to take therewith. In doing so, the individual will have to determine what types of tools and materials to gather. However inadvertently, the individual may not gather the appropriate tools or may forget to gather certain other useful tools. Furthermore, the more tools that the individual gathers, the more space that will be needed to transport or carry such tools/items. Because space is usually very limited during an outing such as a hike into the woods, most individuals do not wish to carry or possess many tools/items due to increased space and weight associated therewith. Therefore, solely relying on the selection and possession of various tools beforehand to take therewith is neither efficient nor effective.
On the other hand, an unexpected circumstance may befall an individual, leaving the individual alone and/or isolated, without proper emergency tools. The individual may not have had an opportunity to procure the proper emergency tools beforehand. Thus, the individual is solely at the mercy of the circumstance and of nature. For example, the individual may have been in a horrific vehicular accident on a rarely traveled road that is many miles away from help. With no help arriving on the scene for an extended period of time, the individual will have to survive without the assistance of anyone or anything. Having emergency tools at the individual's disposal would greatly increase the individual's chance of survival. Taking a leisurely hike in a wooded, unpopulated area and inadvertently getting lost is another example of a unexpected circumstance. Emergency tools may greatly assist the individual in not only finding help but surviving as well.
Thus, while it benefits an individual to possess emergency tools in case an emergency arises, it is not always feasible because of the space that such tools require. For example, a hiker may only possess a backpack, and so the emergency tools that the hiker takes on the hiking trip is limited to the space provided in the backpack. As such, the limitation of space can discourage an individual from being properly prepared. While an individual may desire to possess both a canteen for drinking liquids and a kettle with lanyard for cooking over a fire, it is not feasible to possess two large emergency tool as space is usually limited
What is needed is an innovative product for providing survival assistance to an individual during an emergency. More specifically, what is needed is a kit of parts, system and method of using same that maximizes the survival assistance to an individual during an emergency while minimizing the space and inefficiencies thereof, namely, a container for storing emergency tools and materials/items therein such that the container is convertible into a plurality of differing instruments/constructs/devices by utilizing a portion of the emergency tools stored therein while also having access to the other emergency tools and materials/items stored in the container—a kit of parts, a system and method which combines many different products into one product suitable for emergency situations.
A kit of parts, system and method of using same for providing survival assistance to an individual in an emergency situation comprising a sealable, metal container that stores emergency tools/materials/items therein and that is convertible into a plurality of differing instruments/constructs/devices utilizing portion of the emergency tools originally placed therein is a novel invention that meets the needs described in the above paragraphs while providing many substantial advantages. The advantages of the embodiments of the present invention, some of which are disclosed herein, include, without limitation, all-in-one characteristics, compactness, space-saving qualities, physical composition, reusability, transportability, size adjustability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
First, embodiments of the present invention include an all-in-one characteristic in that a container can be converted, without limitation, to a cup having an arm to more easily drink liquids, a bucket having an arm to more easily dig, a vessel having a handle to more easily transport object(s) and a hanging kettle with lanyard to more easily heat object(s) therein over a fire while also simultaneously suspending edible material therefrom for cooking. Thus, instead of simultaneously possessing multiple products to perform multiple functions during an emergency, an individual would need only to possess an embodiment of the disclosed invention.
Second, the compactness and space-saving qualities of the embodiments of the present invention provide an advantage over the current survival assistance tools/devices/systems. Because the present invention is an all-in-one product which incorporates the functionality of the combination of a plurality of other devices, an individual can possess the present invention without having to possess those other devices simultaneously, thereby saving valuable space. The product can easily fit in a backpack, briefcase, purse, etc. As such, it is small, easy to carry and efficient.
Third, the metal composition of certain structural portions of embodiments of the present invention provides yet another advantage. Many current devices/systems/tools for providing survival assistance are composed of plastic or plastic-like material. Plastic/plastic-like material is weaker than metal and tends to chip and break when stressed. Furthermore, plastic components cannot be used in the construct of a kettle for cooking edible materials over a fire. The use of a kettle can be vitally important for survival. Therefore, the metallic composition of certain components of the present invention provides added benefits and functionality.
Fourth, the reusability of the present invention is another unique advantage. Embodiments of the present invention comprise emergency tool(s) which are used in the convertibility of a container but are collapsible for storing within the container. Therefore, a collapsible emergency tool can be stored within the container, removed from the container when needed, expanded and attached to the exterior of the container when appropriate to aid in the convertibility of the container, then collapsed and placed within the container to be stored therein until needed once again. Furthermore, because of the convertibility of the container, the invention can be used for multiple purposes on multiple occasions. Thus, the invention should not be discarded after one use but reused again and again. The invention's reusability is beneficial to an individual as the invention can be utilized continuously during a period of isolation and/or utilized multiple times over the course of multiple but different emergency situations.
Fifth, the ease of transportability and the size adjustability are additional benefits that the present invention provides. Though an embodiment of the present invention can perform multiple tasks and functions to provide assistance to an individual in an emergency situation—tasks and functions usually performed by separate devices, the present invention comprises one device—not multiple devices/products. As such, the present invention in less cumbersome to possess or carry, requiring less space and energy to transport. It can easily attach to other objects such as a belt or backpack. Moreover, the present invention is scalable in size. Therefore, the present invention can be sized according to the specific needs and wants of an individual. For example, if an individual plans to hike in a wooded area close to a populous area, the individual may desire to possess only a small emergency kit, having only essential emergency items and tools. On the other hand, a hike in a remote area of the world with little to no population of people nearby may require a larger and more all encompassing emergency kit. The present invention provides a scalability in size that is designed to meet the needs of an individual.
Sixth, because an embodiment of the present invention provides for a convertible container which performs multiple tasks and functions, efficiencies result, creating yet another advantage of the present invention. Because the invention is a substitute for multiple devices, less space is required to store and transport the invention when compared to the multiple devices that would be needed in the alternative. Furthermore, because the invention is a substitute for multiple other devices/products, an individual will not have to purchase multiple products, thereby saving money. Thus, embodiments of the present invention promote efficiencies both in cost, time and space.
Embodiments of the present invention can be provided as a kit of parts and then assembled when necessary. Using different emergency tools stored within a container, the present invention can provide emergency assistance to an individual in different, particular ways. Whether in need of a container for storing emergency tools and items therein, a cup with an arm for drinking liquid, a bucket with an arm for digging, a vessel with a handle for transporting an object, a kettle with lanyard for boiling liquid and/or suspending edible material over a fire for cooking, an embodiment of the present invention can provide assistance in a time of emergency.